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Away from the feverish royal baby watching in Windsor, the Prince of Wales is on a German charm offensive; a tour of the country designed to extend the hand of friendship. In these myopic times, it’s unsurprising that in some quarters the visit is being spun as a push for a softer Brexit. Yet the Royal family’s relationship with Germany goes much further than the vagaries of British politics, encompassing a shared history and deep family ties.

In 1701, an extraordinary Act of Parliament, establishing that only Protestants could rule England, effectively made the Royal family German. With dozens of potential successors barred by their Catholicism, the choice settled on Electress Sophia of Hanover,...